The England international did not feature for the Red Devils in their Premier League contest against struggling Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon after the striker left training at Carrington on Thursday complaining of tightness in his groin.

And after a subsequent scan had revealed a slight groin strain, interim United head coach Ryan Giggs withdrew Rooney from the club’s matchday squad to take on the Black Cats in order to not further damage the problem, which first flared up at the turn of the year when the forward went on a family holiday to Egypt, forcing the star to then miss five games.

However, withmatches coming up against the likes of Hull City and Southampton which will have no bearing whatsoever on the Man United’s season, it is expected that Giggs will now wrap the player up in cotton wool in order to protect him ahead of this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.